Conveyor for selective dispatching of articles



Oct. 13, 1964 3,152,682

CONVEYOR FOR SELECTIVE DISPATCHING 0F ARTICLES A. RUTKOVSKY ETAL 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed April 5, 1961- FIG. 3

INVENTORS .ABRAHAM RUTKOVSKY sm RUTKOVSKY ATTORNEYS Oct. 13, 1964 A.RUTKOVSKY ETAL 3,152,682

CONVEYOR FOR SELECTIVE DISPATCHING 0F ARTICLES Original Filed April 5,1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 uvmvroks ABRAHAM RUTKOVSKY By sAM RUTKOVSKYATTORNEYS FIG United States Patent 3,152,682 CONVEYOR FOR SELECTTVEDISPATCHING F ARTICLES Abraham Rutkovsky and Sam Rutkovsky, Brooklyn,N.Y., assignors to Railex Corporation, Uzone Park, N.Y., a corporationof New York Original application Apr. 5, 1961, Ser. No. 100,866, nowPatent No. 3,118,531, dated Jan. 21, 1964. Divided and this applicationJan. 21, 1963, Ser. No. 252,919

9 Claims. (Cl. 198-38) This invention relates to conveyors fordelivering varlOllS classifications of articles to preselectedlocations.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a conveyorhaving an article supporting means movable along a rail with means forselectively removing different articles from the conveyor at preselectedpositions along the path of travel of the conveyor.

A further object is to provision of a conveyor wherein each link of theconveyor chain is provided with a series of article carrying memberspositioned at various levels and means are provided in the path ofmovement of the conveyor chain at levels corresponding to the levels ofthe article carrying members, respectively, for removing articlescarried thereby.

Another object is the provision of a conveyor wherein each link of theconveyor chain is provided with a series of pivoted article carryingmembers and means are provided in the path of movement of said membersto cause pivotal movement of the members to thereby remove the articlescarried by said members.

A further object is the provision of a conveyor with article removingmeans which may be operated to remove any one of a plurality ofclassifications of articles from the conveyor at a particular positionalong the path of travel of the conveyor.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the inventionwill be more fully understood from the following description of theinvention considered in con nection with the accompanying illustrativedrawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partly diagrammatic, of the driven end ofthe conveyor;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the driven end of the conveyor;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view, on a larger scale, taken on line 3-3 of FIG.2;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of part of a conveyor in accordancewith another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view, on a larger scale, taken on line 18-18 ofFIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of part of a conveyor in accordancewith still another embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the part of the conveyor shown in FIG. 6.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and particularly to FIGS. 1 to3, the conveyor Ill comprises an endless rail 12 and an endless conveyorchain 14 which is suspended below the rail and is mounted for movementalong the rail by the trolleys 16. The conveyor chain comprises a seriesof rigid links 18 which are disposed in end-to-end relation and adjacentends of adjacent links are pivotally connected to each other to permitrelative movement of the links with respect to each other in bothhorizontal and vertical planes. More particularly, one end of each linkis provided with the bifurcated parts 26 and a pivot member 22 ispositioned between the parts. A pivot pin 24 extends through parts 20and member 22 and the upper end of the pin has a Y-shaped bracket 26mounted for rotational movement thereon. The upper ends of the arms ofthe bracket carry the rollers 28 of the trolley which are in rollingengagement with the upper surface of the rail 12. The opposite end ofeach link is provided with the forked parts 30 and the pivot member 22is positioned between said forked parts. A horizontal pivot pin 32pivotally connects the forked parts to member 22 to complete theconnection between adjacent links which permits universal movement ofthe links with respect to each other.

As indicated in FIG. 1, the conveyor chain has horizontal portions aswell as inclined portions and it will be understood that the conveyor isable to transport articles suspended from the links of the chain to anylocation along the path of travel of the conveyor chain and theselocations may be at different levels. The universal connection betweenadjacent links permits movement of the conveyor chain along a path whichmay have straight portions as well as curved portions and variousportions of the path may be at different levels, as may be provided in adry cleaning and laundry establishment, for example.

The rail 12 may be supported from floor stanchions or may be suspendedfrom the ceiling by supports which are secured to the frame 34 of theconveyor. The drive for the conveyor chain comprises a sprocket wheel 36whose teeth engage the upper part of the pivot pins 24, as said pinspass the position of the sprocket wheel, to drive the sprocket chain.The spokes of the sprocket wheel are provided with members 38 whichengage the lower end of the pivot pins during their driving engagementwith the teeth of the sprocket wheel and help maintain said pins in avertical position since the pins have a tendency to tilt because of thepull of the downwardly inclined portions of the conveyor on the engagedpivot pins. The sprocket Wheel is driven by a motor 40 which isconnected by belt 42 to the pulley 44 of a speed reduction gear 46. Theoutput shaft 48 of the reduction gear is keyed to the sprocket wheel andthe sprocket wheel and its drive is supported on the frame 34 by thesupporting plate 50.

As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the pivot pins which are in drivingengagement with the teeth of the sprocket wheel are prevented fromjumping out of the recesses formed by the sides of the teeth and therebybecoming disengaged from said teeth, by the curved plate 52 whose innersurface is adjacent to the open ends of the sprocket teeth and onlyslightly spaced therefrom to cover the recesses. Plate 52 is supportedfrom the frame 34 of the conveyor by the straps 54. In this manner, thetendency of the pivot pins to jump through the open ends of the teethbecause of the forces exerted on the pins due to the inclined parts ofthe conveyor and other factors is prevented.

Each link of the chain is provided with a series of article supportingmembers 56', 56 of hook-like configuration. Members 56, 56 are spacedfrom. each other longitudinally of the link and the members of each linkare in longitudinal alignment. Although four article supporting membersare shown herein for each link, it will be understood that any number ofmembers may be provided on each link. The articles, which may begarments 'or laundry of various kinds, are suspended from members 56.and 56" by hooks although it will be understood that closed rings mayalso be used to support the articles from members 56' and 56.

The article supporting members of each link are each adapted to carry adifferent classification of articles. For example, one member may carrytrousers, another may carry laundry, the third may carry dresses and thelast coats. In accordance with the invention, these variousclassifications of articles are delivered by the conveyor to variouspreselected locations along the path of travel of the conveyor and areautomatically discharged from the conveyor at the particular preselectedlocation for that classification of articles. To accomplish this, apusher 62', 62" is positioned along the path of travel of the conveyorchain at a location where a particular classification of articles is. tobe delivered. The number of pushers provided is the same as the numberof article supporting members 56', 56" on a link and it will beunderstood that. the pushers are spaced from each other longitudinallyalong the path of travel of the conveyor chain and that a pusher ispositioned at each location where a particular classification ofarticles is to be removed from the conveyor.

Each pusher is supported from the frame 34 of the conveyor by a bracket64. Pusher 62' may comprise a vertical part 68' which is secured at itsupper end to the bracket 64.

While the function of members 56 and 56" have been described above asbeing utilized for delivering different classifications of articles todifferent preselected locations along the path of travel of theconveyor, it will be understood that said members may also be used todeliver the same classification of articles but to deliver thesearticles to different locations. along. the path of travel of theconveyor. In such a case, the articles which are to be removed from theconveyor at the first preselected location are carried by the samemembers of each link of the chain and the articles which are to beremoved from the conveyor at the second location along the path oftravel of the conveyor are carried by other members of each link of thechain. Still other members of each link of the chain carry articleswhich are to be delivered to the third position and the remainingmembers of each link of the chain carry articles which are to bedelivered. to the fourth position along the path of travel of theconveyor andif additional positions of delivery are required, additionalarticle supporting memberswould be provided on each link of the chain sothat the number of members provided on. each link of the chain would bethe same as the number of delivery locations. It will be understood thatthis is similarly true in the case of different classifications of goodswherein the number of members provided in each link of the chaincor-responds to the number of difi'erentclassifications of articles.Also, it will be understood that a combination of the foregoing can beelfected. For example, as illustrated herein there are four articlecarrying members provided on each link of the chain andthese members maycarry only two classifications so that the same classification ofarticlescan be discharged at two different locations and the otherclassification of articles can also be discharged at two other anddifferent locations.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 to 7, there are shown other embodiments of theinvention wherein the article carrying members 56 and 56 are pivoted toeach link 13' of the chain instead of being rigidly fixed thereto, asshown in US. Patent No. 3,118,531 issued January 21, 1964. The pivotconnection for each member is indicated at 82 and the link is providedwith slots 84 to permit the pivotal movement of the members in theirrespective links. Referring first to FIGS. 4 and 5, each member 56' isprovided with a horizontally extending pin 86 at its upper end and thelevels of the pins rise in a direction from left to right, as viewed inFIG. 4, which is opposite to the direction of movement of the conveyorchain. Each pin is of the same length and is adapted to engage a pusher62 which is positioned along the path of travel of the conveyor at alevel corresponding to the level of the pin of a corresponding member 56of each link of. the chain. It will be understood that the pushers 62'are spaced from each other along the path of travel of the conveyorchain and the pushers illustrated in dotted lines in FIG. 4 are notactually next '4 to each other, as shown, but are spaced from each otheralong the path of travel of the conveyor.

As the conveyor chain moves from right to left, as viewed in FIG. 4, thepin 86 engages a corresponding pusher which is at the same level as thepin and causes the corresponding member 56 to rotate in a clockwisedirection, as viewed in FIG. 4, which causes the hook of the article tofall off member 56. As seen in FIG. 5, the pins 86 do not engage thevertical part 68' of the pusher and are only engaged by the slanting camedge 74' of the pusher so that it is not necessary to place the highestlevel pusher at the first delivery position along the path of travel ofthe conveyor because the pins only engage the pusher which is at thesame level as the pin.

In FIGS. 6 and 7, the article carrying members 56 have pins 86' whichare at the same level but are of varying lengths, as shown. The pushers62" have pine engaging parts 88 which are at different distances fromthe members 56" transversely of the path of movement of the conveyorchain. Accordingly, as a pin 86 passes a corresponding pusher, themember 56 is caused to rotate about its pivot to release the articlescarried thereby. It will be observed that in this embodiment of theinvention, the articles which are to be removed first are placed on themember of each link of the conveyor which has the longest pin 86, sincethe other members 56" of each link of the chain have shorter pins whichfreely pass the pusher which actuates the longest pin. As the previouslyactuated longer pin passes by a pusher for a shorter pin, said longerpin is again actuated but since it has previously been actuated and hasreleased its articles, the subsequent actuation of the longer pin doesnot matter. As illustrated with respect to the previous embodiments ofthe invention, the dot-dash lines illustrating the pushers 62" areutilized to indicate that these pushers are not next to each other asshown, but are spaced from each other along the path of travel of theconveyor.

As more fully described in the above mentioned US. patent, the articles,when released from hooks 56' or 56', may drop onto a slick rail or maydrop directly into a bin.

This application is a division of our application Serial No. 100,866,filed April 5, 1961, now US. Patent No. 3,118,531 issued January 21,1964.

While we have shown and described the preferred embodiments of ourinvention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodiedotherwise than as herein specifically illustrated or described, and thatcertain changes in the form and arrangement of parts and in the specificmanner of practicing the invention may be made without departing fromthe underlying ideas or principles of this invention within the scope ofthe appended claims.

Having thus described out invention, what we claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. Conveyor apparatus comprising, an endless rail, an endless articlecarrying chain mounted for circulatory movement on said rail andcomprising an endless series of rigid links disposed in end-to-endrelation and pivotally connected to each other at their respectiveadjacent ends for pivotal movement in vertical and horizontal planes,each link being disposed in a vertical plane, a plurality of said linkseach having a similar series of pivotally mounted article carrying hooksspaced from each other fixed distances apart, said hooks of each one ofsaid plurality of links corresponding to the books of each one of theother links of said plurality of links, and a series of spaced article"removing operating mean-s, corresponding to each one of said series ofarticle carrying hooks of said plurality of links, and positioned to bepassed by said article carrying hooks as said chain moves around saidrail, each of said article removing operating means being positionedrelative to a corresponding one of said article carrying hooks of eachone of said series of article carrying hooks for control by passage ofsaid corresponding one article carrying hook to cause removal of theartir cle carried by said corresponding one article carrying hook.

2. Conveyor apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said articleremoving operating means are mounted longitudinally spaced from eachother and said article carrying hooks of each series are mountedlongitudinally spaced from each other, and slick rail means associatedwith at least one of said article removing operating means, said slickrail means including means positioned with respect to said onecorresponding article removing operating means for receiving andtransporting articles, which are caused to be removed by the latter, topositions remote from said corresponding article removing operatingmeans.

3. Conveyor apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said articlecarrying books of each series are mounted in longitudinal alignment witheach other.

4. Conveyor apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said pivotallymounted article carrying hooks are movably mounted on the companion linkbetween vertical article-carrying positions and inclinedarticle-releasing positions.

5. Conveyor apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said pivotallymounted article carrying hooks are mounted at the same level and eachhook has a laterally extending arm positioned at a level which isdifferent from the levels of the extending arms of the other hooks ofthe companion series, and said series of article removing operatingmeans are positioned at correspondingly different levels and in the pathof movement of a corresponding arm for engagement by the latter to pivotthe companion hook into article-releasing position.

6. Conveyor apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said pivotallymounted hooks of each series are mounted at the same level and each hasa member laterally spaced from the companion hook a distance which isdifferent from the lateral distances of the members of the other booksof the companion series, and said series of article removing operatingmeans are positioned at correspondingly difierent lateral distances andin the path of movement of a corresponding hook member for engagement bythe latter to pivot the companion hook into articlereleasing position.

7. Conveyor apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said hooks of eachseries are mounted in longitudinal alignment.

8. Conveyor apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said hooks of eachseries are mounted in longitudinal alignment.

9. Conveyor apparatus comprising, an endless rail having parts which areat levels that are higher than other parts of the rail, an endlessarticle carrying chain comprising an endless series of rigid linksdisposed in endto-end relation and pivotally connected to each other attheir respective ends for pivotal movement in vertical and horizontalplanes, means suspending said chain from said rail for movement of saidchain below said rail, each of said links being disposed in a verticalplane, a plurality of said links each carrying a similar series ofarticle carrying hooks spaced from each other fixed distances apart andeach mounted for pivotal movement between an article-carrying positionand an article-releasing position, said hooks of each series being inlongitudinal alignment and at the same level during horizontal movementof the companion link of said chain and each hook having ahook-operating member laterally spaced from said hook a distance whichis diiferent from the lateral distances of the other hook-operatingmembers from the other hooks of said series of hooks, saidhook-operating members of said series of hooks being at the same level,said hooks of each one of said plurality of links corresponding to thehooks of each one of the other links of said plurality of links, and aseries of spaced article removing operating means, corresponding to eachone of said series of article carrying hooks of said plurality of links,and positioned adjacent to and laterally of said chain to be passed bysaid article carrying hooks as said chain moves around said hook rail toengage said operating member of the hook to pivot the latter from saidarticle-carrying position to said article-releasing position for removalof the article, said article removing operating means of said seriesbeing spaced at different lateral distances from each other and fromsaid chain and corresponding to the different lateral distances of saidhook-operating members of the series for operating said hook-operatingmembers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS386,314 Green July 17, 1888 1,247,535 Huddleston Nov. 20, 1917 1,556,723Shaffer Oct. 13, 1925 1,731,095 Draeger Oct. 8, 1929 1,986,420 Webb eta1. Ian. 1, 1935 2,897,951 Jonson Aug. 4, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,131,860France Oct. 1, 1956 791,276 Great Britain Feb. 26, 1958

1. CONVEYOR APPARATUS COMPRISING, AN ENDLESS RAIL, AN ENDLESS ARTICLECARRYING CHAIN MOUNTED FOR CIRCULATORY MOVEMENT ON SAID RAIL ANDCOMPRISING AN ENDLESS SERIES OF RIGID LINKS DISPOSED IN END-TO-ENDRELATION AND PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER AT THEIR RESPECTIVEADJACENT ENDS FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT IN VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL PLANES,EACH LINK BEING DISPOSED IN A VERTICAL PLANE, A PLURALITY OF SAID LINKSEACH HAVING A SIMILAR SERIES OF PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ARTICLE CARRYING HOOKSSPACED FROM EACH OTHER FIXED DISTANCES APART, SAID HOOKS OF EACH ONE OFSAID PLURALITY OF LINKS CORRESPONDING TO THE HOOKS OF EACH ONE OF THEOTHER LINKS OF SAID PLURALITY OF LINKS, AND A SERIES OF SPACED ARTICLEREMOVING OPERATING MEANS, CORRESPONDING TO EACH ONE OF SAID SERIES OFARTICLE CARRYING HOOKS OF